


Darkness

by esttian



Series: Dark!Ironstrange [1]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Cloak of Levitation (Marvel), Dark!Stephen, Gen, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-30 15:45:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17831456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esttian/pseuds/esttian
Summary: Stephen Strange has Dormammu as his prisoner at the Dark Dimension, in an endless infinite loop. He is about to make the inter-dimensional being leave and never come back to earth but What if an offer is made? An offer he can't possibly refuse.





	Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to the Ironstrange Haven discord for the inspiration and motivation. 
> 
> Without them, this wouldn't have been born. My first fanfic for this fandom, hopefully not the last.

Flesh ripping apart, blood oozing down his chest, hot but leaving him cold. A dry cough escaped his throat as the blood filled his lungs.

 _Pectoralis major, rectus abdominis, Sternum._ His medical mind scrambled to count all the part that were damaged so he could focus on something else besides the coldness taking over, always a doctor. The pain was numbing, but he could feel his chest heavy as the dark purple stalagmite pierced through.

_Ruptured_

_Torn_

**_BROKEN_ **

Magic filled the air once more. He had lost count by now, just welcoming the soft glow and the feeling of running back, green scattered over his body as the world speeded. He was not stopping but the experience was still sickening.

The Time stone obeyed. His body recovered but his mind still recalled the ripping of muscles, bones and ligaments. The green runes rolled in his arm as he motioned them on once more, he glanced at them as he walked up to his waking nightmare. Dormammu. An interdimensional conqueror.  
  
The dark dimension hugged his ruler in a sea of purple, green and blue light shows, the eyes that pierced through his soul stared at him with galactic glaze at the edges. Stephen Strange knew that he would see those eyes for the rest of his human life.

“Dormammu” He called out, a rain of blades fell from above and the sorcerer could only gasp a last breath before the stone did its thing again.  
  
“Dorma-!” A yelp exhaled his mouth as the powerful beam calcinates every cell of his body, leaving only particles of dust.

“Dormammu!” Stephen says, it had become a mantra by now. “I have come to bargain!” This time he manages to say it all out before the being screamed in frustration and launched one of the planets that circled around them at him. _Rude_.

He lands on the ground of the familiar planet where hundreds of versions of himself had met their end. _Just one more_. Stephen repeats inside his head. A giant hand plummets down, breaking the planet in half. Dormammu grows more and more agitated, his attacks flicker from quick deaths to long tortures.

Stephen fell to his knees as the dark magic warps around his neck, he feels himself faint.

_You and I trapped in this moment. endlessly._

_You will spend eternity dying._

He recalls that conversation and mocks himself inside his mind, he could do this. Stubbornly he stands up and breaks the magical bonds, just to get impaled by an edged meteorite. Another death to the count and he is sighing one last breath. People should really stop seeking immortality, Stephen has concluded that it was a bitch around the hundredth time coming back from death.

 _Pain is an old friend_. The Master of the Mystic Arts reminds himself as the time stone shines and he is back to walking over to his prisoner who by the looks of it, is throwing a tantrum. This was eternity. Endless.

“RELEASE ME” Dormammu shouts, the dark dimension rumbles, making Stephen stumble slightly on his feet, he stands tall with the help of the Cloak holding his weight.

“I have come to barg-“ He couldn’t finish because the giant slashed at him with a chilling scream of frustration. Again.

And Again.

**_And Again._ **

Stephen breaths rapidly as he falls to his knees, his hands holding him up from completely stumbling sending sharp pulses of pain from holding his weight, his body aches and his mind starts to grow hazy, the time stone is protecting it, he knows, because otherwise, the sorcerer would have gone mad by now. All those deaths. All those tortures and screams of pain. But he never begged for mercy or shouted for release, he stood his ground for eternity. Dormammu had the bad luck to face Stephen Strange, the most stubborn man in the whole universe.

“SET ME FREE” Dormammu exclaimed followed by a growl. Finally. Stephen managed to smirk as he heard that desperate yell, even a god was turning to get annoyed by him. “WHAT DO YOU WANT?!” Dormammu screamed, willing to listen to his bargain. He had won! The sorcerer enjoyed the moment, he had beaten the dark dimension’s ruler in his painful patience game, he sighs, softly closing his eyes from a second to enjoy the frustration coming from the conqueror.

 _Was it worth it?_ A voice asked him in the back of his head, his smile faded as blue eyes widen. Maybe he really went mad. This was not his consciousness or thoughts, not Dormammu, this was old and soft, like an old wise man whispering to a child, intruding his mind from a more powerful source. The magic around him shivered, the time stone flickers in his chest.

The time stone is endless, incorruptible. Stephen was not.

 _He is going to leave…for now._ the voice continues without a care about the sorcerer frozen state. _What if he comes back after your inevitable death? He will see earth as another easy target without you protecting it or He will kill you after you release the spell and then take over earth._

Stephen’s breath got caught in his throat as he listened, Dormammu was exasperate and throwing a long list of curses as he smashed some worlds with his fists, ignoring the sorcerer as he took out his anger. It was true. Dormammu could go back on his word and take over earth, all those lives: Christine, Mordo, Wong. His blue eyes closed as dread blossomed inside his chest.

_I can give you power_

Strange snapped up. _Who?_ He asked inside his head, looking around the dark purple world, the magic around him was soothing his cold body, the cloak flaring in alert, there was no answer, there wasn’t need for one. One look at the darkness was enough. The Dark dimension was extending an offer, so tempting and so clear. Any other sorcerer would call him either crazy or talented, but he could feel, he could understand this magic calling to him.

_You can keep them safe. Be strong enough to protect._

The Sorcerer fists his trembling hands, the natural shakiness increasing. Defeating Dormammu was the only way to prevent this threat from ever stepping in his way again.

Stephen calls out to the darkness “Take. My. Soul.”, his lungs were burning up from holding his breath. The stony floor was digging up into his knees and hands, but he didn’t care. He was determinate to end this.

The darkness felt excited at the power in his voice, it wrapped around him as if it was an old friend giving him a hug. Pain. He felt pain piercing his skin and setting in. It was constantly pulsating, taking home. Stephen gritted his teeth as the dark purple energy finally nestled inside him. A burning between his eyebrows told him the deal was done.

Dormammu snapped, his glazy eyes blinking. Of course, he would feel the change. Stephen allowed himself to push himself as Dormammu was looking down at his giant hands trying to pinpoint the source of the change. “What...” an unconcluded question left the dark being, his gaze shifting to the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth.

No.

To Stephen Strange.

“Dormammu” His voice rumbled through the dimension, the ex-ruler shivered, trying to step back, in all his immortal life, after all the countless worlds conquered and enemies defeated, the being felt defenseless. Dormammu stared as Stephen levitated up into the air, standing face to face with him. “Your time is up” The god was shaking, he wanted to flee, Dormammu was… **scared**.

“WHAT DID YOU DO, HUMAN?!” _What are you?!_ An unspoken question, his voice sounded weak and shaky in his ears as if it was muffled by something, it didn’t have the same echo, it didn’t course the whole dimension as before, it was a whisper of what it used to be, and Dormammu paled at the realization. He was not welcomed here, he was not welcomed in his own home. The Darkness betrayed him. It has chosen a better candidate for its throne.

Maybe it was because after endless of battles with the sorcerer the dark dimension found him weak against a true opponent, Stephen had showed up and mocked his status and power. No worthy anymore, the darkness wanted Stephen. And it got him.

Dormammu yelled, trying to throw planets and magic against the thief, it got reflected or consumed by the human. “You wield the power of a god.” Strange said as a matter of fact, Dormammu was startled by the sudden tugging force, his body started to dissipate, and he scrambled to hold his chest and arms as the strings of magic that formed his body flew over to Stephen, the light of his eyes seeks the sorcerer and his eyes widened. Stephen was eating him.

“Then give it to me. Give it all to me!” with a commanding voice the sorcerer extends his arms and the dark lord screams, the cloak is floating softly on the space, the red showing a spectrum of colors around it’s owner as the purple, blue and green swirled into his hands and chest. Consuming it all, draining Dormammu from anything and everything the demon still possessed, its eyes helplessly looked at his hand trying to reach the human with a claw but as it got closer, the extremity dissipated into Stephen. The long giant arm went next until just the head was left. Dormammu tried to articulate a curse but the only thing that was left for him, was to gaze over the blueish green stare of the Sorcerer. The red mark shinning brightly on his forehead, the smirk on his lips was Dormammu last image as the being faded into nothing, leaving crumbles of dark shell.

Stephen lets his arms fall to his sides, his head leans back to stare at the dark sky of the dark dimension. He can feel the energy running though him, giving him life and welcoming him. Home. This darkness was home, and it had settled down at home inside him too. His blue eyes close and he flexes his scarred hands before extending them up to the sky, reaching, calling upon it. The Dark dimension responds with a pulse of pure magical force wishing him a good trip as a portal opens above him.

Hong Kong lies beyond it. His cloak, staying loyal to him, flutters as he passes through. Wong and Mordo start to get ready to attack as Kaecilius and his…HIS acolytes stare at the purple blue dimension with admiration. They are speechless until he lands. Kaecilius turns to look at him, something akin to worship flickers in his eyes and his eyes raise in confusion, “What have you done?” He asks and the corner of the Sorcerer Supremes’ lips lifts.

“Well…” Stephen takes a few steps closer, nonchalantly shrugging, “I will give you all you ever wanted” his words land cold, Kaecilius looks down at his hands, fading away and the fragments fly up into the portal he created a second ago. The black contoured eyes look up at him in a silent plead and Stephen just smiles at him, the dark dimension wanted more. He would provide.

Kaecilius and the two others start to convulse and shake, their skin morphing into magic that the dark dimension would enjoy consuming, they are pulled up into the air, like moths attracted to light, dusting away into the darkness. He closes the portal and with a slow motion of the time stone, the Hong Kong sanctum comes back in one piece, time resumes as the green magic disappears from his arm and the eye of Agamotto closes, rest old friend.

“We won” Wong whispers and Stephen turns to his friend with a glee in his eyes and a tired smile, only to stop when a relic rests against his neck forcing him to tilt his chin up, blue eyes move over to Mordo’s glaring ones. Wong looks between them in confusion, “Mordo! Put that away! What- “

“He is just like her.” Mordo says with a snap in his words and Stephen must commend the man for even daring to act against him, foolish and filled with anger but still brave enough. “I can tell right away, he has the same power as hers” The Sorcerer supreme holds back his disappointed remark, comparing him to the Ancient One would have been a praise in the past but right now, it was a mock to his power.

Wong’s glances from Stephen to Mordo unsure of what to do, “I protected our reality. And this is my welcome party?” Stephen questions, raising an eyebrow gracefully. Mordo glare grows darker, the relic shining a soft golden light. People passing by have grown aware of the little dispute going on in the middle of the street and had stopped on their tracks whispering.

There is tension in the air.

Before either of them makes a move, Wong steps over and places a hand on Mordo’s arm, that breaks their staring contest, “This is not the place” He sternly says, glancing around them to the crowd slowly gathering.

Mordo is made aware of this just now, because he curses and lowers his staff, swiftly placing it on his back. He is taking that with him, that’s for sure. Stephen would allow that for now. “You are not spared from the natural rules”

“Look around you.” Stephen snaps back.

“The billing comes around. Always.” Mordo slowly says with a threatening remark, his cloak moves in awareness to danger against its master. Mordo glares one last time to Stephen before turning and walking into the crowd of China, disappearing.

Wong sighs. The tension leaving his shoulder and Stephen smiles at that. “Is it true?” Wong asks as he moves to stand by Stephen, looking him up and down as if seeking for anything different, Stephen nods finding it useless to hide the fact. “and the Ancient One put you in charge…We are doomed” Wong said but there was not real malice in his voice, he sounded amused.

“Don’t knock until you try it” Stephen shoots back as they made their way into the sanctum.

Wong shook his head at the comment, “This is too strange for my taste. I enjoy my quiet library better.” and Stephen stops and looks at his fellow sorcerer with blown eyes. Wong’s face is his usual stoic one, but a corner of his mouth is quivering.

“Did you just…make a joke?” Stephen ask in disbelief, but Wong ignores him and steps up the stairs of the sanctum. “Wong!” He calls out for him and rushes over to his comrade. He is not letting that go.   

Wong enters, that smile breaking through his façade as he steps inside the cozy ancient place. Strange stops before entering, he looks back at the dark night sky. The earth was quiet. The Dark dimension was pleased. He is going to protect earth, even if it meant selling his soul for power, he is not stopping.

His hands flicker with purple sparks as he turns, the cloak swinging with the motion. Doctor Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, was going to protect this reality.

There was a lot of work to do. First thing in order is removing any threats.

Starting with those pesky Avengers.

**Author's Note:**

> I got inspiration from Dr. Strange (2007) Animated film about defeating Dormammu.
> 
> Kudos and Comments are so welcome, they give me support and I deep appreciate them.


End file.
